Rockhounding near Johnson City, TN

278 mapped rockhounding spots within 150 miles of Johnson City — most are inside a 2 to 3 hour drive. Below: a map, the closest spots, what they produce, and full coordinates with access notes.

Covering parts of Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and 1 more.

Closest rockhounding spots to Johnson City

The 6 nearest mapped spots, with straight-line distance and an approximate drive time.

Limestone quarriesUnicoi County, Tennessee4 mi · 5 min driveCalcite, Celestite, Dolomite
Stony CreekCarter County, Tennessee12 mi · 15 min drivePyrite, Pyrolusite
Bumpus CoveWashington County, Tennessee12 mi · 15 min driveBlue Jasper
Bumpus Cove mining districtUnicoi County, Tennessee14 mi · 17 min driveAnglesite, Chalcopyrite, Cerussite
Unaka MountainsUnicoi County, Tennessee14 mi · 18 min driveEpidote, Quartz, Unakite
Roan MountainCarter County, Tennessee17 mi · 22 min driveUnakite

Most-reported finds near Johnson City

Counts reflect how many spots in this radius mention each material.

Hunting something specific near Johnson City?

These materials have enough dedicated spots around Johnson City to earn their own page, with distances and a separate map.

Every spot within 150 miles of Johnson City

Sorted by distance from Johnson City. Tap a row to open the spot detail page with full directions, access status, and nearby trips.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Limestone quarriesUnicoi Drive	Unicoi County	Calcite Celestite Dolomite	36.2605, -82.3205	Public
Stony CreekWillow Springs Road	Carter County	Pyrite Pyrolusite	36.3732, -82.1549	Public
Bumpus CoveGraveyard Hill Road	Washington County	Blue Jasper	36.1684, -82.4750	Public
Bumpus Cove mining districtBumpus Cove Road	Unicoi County	Anglesite Chalcopyrite Cerussite Hematite Galena Sphalerite	36.1518, -82.4898	Public
Unaka MountainsAppalachian Trail	Unicoi County	Epidote Quartz Unakite	36.1102, -82.3815	Public
Roan MountainLaurel Hylands Road	Carter County	Unakite	36.1940, -82.0825	Public
KingsportCleek Road	Sullivan County	Limestone	36.5512, -82.4764	Public
Roan MountainRoan Drive	Mitchell County	Unakite Epidote	36.1013, -82.1096	Public
BristolUS 421;SR 44	Sullivan County	Onyx	36.5416, -82.1242	Public
Mitchell CountyNC 261	Mitchell County	Agate	36.0555, -82.1350	Public
Flag PondJames H. Quillen Parkway	Unicoi County	Unakite	36.0164, -82.5479	Public
CranberryTrilium Creek Run	Avery County	Epidote Garnet Hematite Kyanite Unakite	36.1346, -81.9826	Public
Sink Hole Mine and other area minesNC 80	Mitchell County	Blue Beryl Apatite Garnet Kyanite Thulite	35.9757, -82.1766	Public
North Toe RiverLower Doe Bag Road	Yancey County	Kyanite Corundum Sapphire	35.9533, -82.1974	Public
PlumtreeMud Puppy Rock Lane	Avery County	Feldspar Garnet	36.0318, -82.0110	Public
PenlandSouth NC Highway 226	Mitchell County	Kyanite	35.9550, -82.1071	Public
BurnsvilleRay Mine Trail	Yancey County	Albite Amazonite Apatite Aquamarine Autunite Beryl Emerald Fluorite +8 more	35.8883, -82.2747	Public
Deer Park MineDeer Park Lake Road	Mitchell County	Autunite Feldspar Garnet Hyalite Opal Mica Monazite Thulite	35.9330, -82.1050	Public
GreenevilleCedar Avenue	Greene County	Sphalerite	36.1795, -82.8651	Public
SpearGusher Knob Road	Avery County	Beryl Garnet Epidote Mica	35.9822, -82.0007	Public
IngallsGusher Knob Road	Avery County	Garnet	35.9810, -82.0015	Public
Celo RidgeUpper Brown's Creek Road	Yancey County	Sapphire Feldspar Garnet Kyanite Mica	35.8640, -82.2253	Public
GreeneHipshire Hollow Road	Hawkins County	Calcite Celestite Dolomite Fluorite Golden Jasper Pyrite Quartz Barite +2 more	36.4245, -82.9167	Public
Crabtree Emerald MineEmerald Mine Road	Mitchell County	Apatite Emerald	35.8743, -82.1205	Public
Grandmother MountainGrandmother Mountain Lane	Avery County	Gold Pyrite Quartz	36.0632, -81.8432	Public

Johnson City rockhounding FAQ

Where can I go rockhounding near Johnson City?+

There are 278 mapped rockhounding spots within about 150 miles of Johnson City, Tennessee. The closest is Limestone quarries in Unicoi County, roughly 4 miles away. The full list is on this page with coordinates and drive times.

What rocks and minerals can you find near Johnson City?+

Spots within driving distance of Johnson City most commonly produce quartz, garnet, corundum, kyanite, amethyst, gold.

Is rockhounding legal near Johnson City?+

Casual hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed on most BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are off-limits. Each spot page on this site lists access status; always confirm current rules with the managing agency before a trip.

How far do most rockhounders drive from Johnson City?+

Most weekend trips from Johnson City fall inside a 2 to 3 hour drive, which is roughly the 150-mile radius shown on this page. Closer spots are good for half-day outings; the outer ones are better as overnight trips.

More state coverage

The spots above span 7 states. Open the state page for the full county-by-county view.

Pack Johnson City's rockhounding map in your pocket

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